Sunday, May 13, 2007

My Dog George

My dog George was rescued nine years ago when he was around five. He is part Irish setter, cocker spaniel and chow and is the most beautiful dog. George has the Irish setter long red hair, cocker face and bright, reddish brown eyes ringed with black permanent eyeliner.

It was love at first sight. It was like he knew he had to impress us. He ran between my husband and me giving us kisses and sitting in our laps. We were hooked and took him home with us not realizing we were going to have some difficulties because of George’s past.

George’s owner loved George and would drive to the drive through at McDonald’s and George would get a burger along with his owner until a day of great sadness came for both of them. George’s owner died. In the wife’s grief she left George alone for days in a condominium and some time between the time the man died and his best friend took George to live with his family on a farm George was abused. He became afraid. His personality wanted to be friendly but he was fearful and in being fearful he became a dog that you couldn’t quite trust.

Through the years George would go backpacking with me. On one trip I felt someone staring at me and I looked up the trail to this mountain of rocks and at the top was George. He was watching over my friend and me as we hiked up the trail. Later that day he almost knocked me over trying to get to my friend while she was struggling with her balance crossing a creek. I think he thought she was going to fall in and wanted to be there to either assist in the rescue or join the swim.

George is now around 14 years old, moves slowly and doesn’t hear or see very well. My throat tightens up as I think of how he used to be full of energy and ready to hike at a moment’s notice. He now sleeps most of the day. George, like me, loves the sun so, we fight to see who can find the sunlight streaming through the windows to lay there and pretend we are cats and soak up all the rays.

Why am I telling you about George? Perhaps, just because I love George even though he makes our life difficult. When the grandchildren come George must be closed into our bedroom which he despises. Lately, when we come home from work George has had an accident. We need a lot of patience with George.

George doesn’t have to perform, complete a list of tasks or meet anyone’s expectation to earn our love. George is loved for being George.

This is a special reminder to me that God loves me for who I am and not for my accomplishments or lack there of. My value is in Christ and not in other’s expectations. There is a peace in the knowledge that God will continue to love me no matter if I become old and forgetful or unable to serve. Or if I just am. God loves me and wants me secure in His love like George is in our love.

4 comments:

deAnn Alyse said...

Sue, a nice reminder of how God's love for us never changes even though we change, a lot. George sounds like a faithful friend. God asks us to be faithful too - just as He is to us. Thank you for the reminder to trust Him and allow His love to cover us, the good parts, the bad parts and the ugly parts. :0) ~grace & peace, deAnn

Jane said...

Sue,
I have always felt that the most incredible show of unconditional love is that of pets, seemingly, dogs in particular. They dont care what kind of mood you are in they are there, ready to love you at all times...have you ever heard the expression, "I could learn alot from my dog"? Thanks so much for sharing George with me. I think I have discovered our common ground!
Love and Blessings,
Jane

Lauren said...

Thanks for your post! I do believe that God has given us our pets so that we can begin to grasp how He loves US. There is nothing that my black lab/ rottie, Jackson, can do to spoil my love for him. It doesn't matter how many cell phone chargers, flip- flops or books he has chewed, I cannot stop loving him. It's amazing that our God cannot stop loving us, no matter how many times WE mess up (and we do more damage than chewed up flip-flops!)
Lauren : )

Carol said...

Sue,
That was great. Thanks for the reminder that God loves me because it's me. He loves me too even when I'm slow, and bla, and have little accidents and can generally make His life difficult.
Carol